Greatest portion of targeted students is expected at community colleges

The passage of a bill extending in-state tuition rates to undocumented Colorado students is expected to translate to an extra 500 students enrolling in the state's public colleges in fiscal year 2013-14, with an estimated 34 attending the University of Colorado.

The state fiscal note attached to Senate Bill 33, which is also known as ASSET, recently signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper, estimates that CU will receive about $63,200 in stipend revenue from the new law.

The bulk of the students, though -- 275 of them -- are expected to enroll at the state's community colleges.

Andy Dorsey, president of Front Range Community College, which has a Boulder County campus in Longmont, said admissions officers are coordinating to make sure they're compliant with the law, which requires that undocumented students receiving in-state rates have attended high school in Colorado for at least three years.

"We are well prepared to help the students benefiting from this bill to get a good education," Dorsey said.

Dorsey said he expects that for many students covered by ASSET, community colleges will be the first stop on their higher-education path.

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The college also has an outreach team to work with students and their parents, explaining the documentation they need when enrolling. For the past couple of years, and pre-dating the passage of the legislation, the school has had bilingual counselors available on the Longmont and Westminster campuses to field questions from Spanish-speaking parents.

Dorsey, who testified in favor of ASSET earlier in the legislative session, said the college has already begun receiving inquiries from prospective students who will be able to take advantage of the new law that will lower their tuition rates.

At Front Range, an on-campus credit hour for resident students is $112.75 compared to $462.55 for non-residents.

The law requires that for students to qualify for in-state tuition, they must have graduated from high school or have earned a general education diploma. They must also declare their intention to pursue legal immigration status.

According to the Colorado Department of Higher Education, students without lawful immigration status are required to submit an affidavit stating that they have applied for lawful presence or will apply as soon as they are eligible to do so.

CU spokesman Ken McConnellogue said he expects the bulk of students benefiting from ASSET will enroll at CU-Denver, which has traditionally been the most diverse campus with the highest minority enrollment.

Jeremy Hueth, a university attorney, will be working with CU admissions and financial aid officers to help decipher what the new law will mean for CU.

The CU regents this year didn't take an official stance on Senate Bill 33. But, Chancellor Phil DiStefano, during a town hall last month, said he's "very committed" to serving ASSET students.

He said diversity programs on the campus including CU's Leadership, Excellence, Achievement and Diversity Alliance, known as CU-LEAD, could help incoming ASSET students. The program enrolls students in "academic neighborhoods" and offers small classes, research experiences, close work with professors, mentoring, tutoring and scholarships.

At CU this year, in-state tuition rate for students in the College of Arts and Sciences is $8,056, compared to an out-of-state rate of $29,946.

Despite the passage of the new law, there are still some major barriers for undocumented students. They won't qualify for federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants, explained CU law professor Melissa Hart. Even if the Dream Act were to pass, the way it's now drafted doesn't allow for any federal aid or loans if students have not obtained lawful residence status or citizenship.

Hart said that private lenders have varying terms, with some requiring a Social Security number.

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